The cost of AV referendum

Letter to this week's Fulham & Hammersmith Chronicle:

Dear Sir,

Paul Kennedy of the H&F Liberal Democrats wishes to thank the 17,000 people in our borough who voted yes to AV. I would like to particularly thank the 24,380 who voted No. Although I was also pleased by the higher than expected turnout of 39% which has resolved the issue. I leave it to your readers to decide who which campaign was "personalised" - the Yes campaign put out desperate leaflets advising voters that as Norman Tebbit was voting No they should vote Yes. But we along with the rest of the country have shown resolve to maintain our democratic system of first past the post with one person, one vote. It is our most important export.

But while pleased with the result I do believe that demanding such a referendum at this time when public finances are in such a chronic state shows misplaced priorities. Holding the referendum cost Hammersmith and Fulham Council £249.481. This specific sum was reimbursed by central Government but had we not had the referendum then the cut in the general central Government grant could have been smaller. When the Lib Dems, and the Labour MP Andrew Slaughter who backed this unnecessary referendum, complain about cuts they might like to reflect that they are responsible for the situation being more severe than it otherwise would have been.

Yours sincerely,
Cllr Harry Phibbs
(Ravenscourt Park Ward. Conservative.)
Hammersmith Town Hall,
King Street,
W6 9JU.

Comments

[Harry]

The best bit of this is that the TORY-LED government called for the referendum and held it. So rather than blaming Labour and the Lib Dems for 'supporting the referendum' (no, they supported AV. Everyone supported the referendum or it would not have been held) you could consider your own hypocritical actions.

Hilarious.